I don’t know about you, but sometimes I wonder if doctors are listening to me. Sometimes, it seems like what I say is being heard (i.e. – my body is making sound waves that travel through the air to the doctor’s hear). But at the same time, the doctor is not really listening (i.e. – concentrating so the brain processes meaning from words and sentences).

Or maybe doctor’s are listening to me, but the meaning they understand from my words is not really the meaning I wish to convey.

Perhaps doctors don’t listen because I’m not being clear. OR more likely, perhaps the meaning a doctor understands is not full and complete because THEY HAVE NEVER LIVED WITH MY ILLNESS IN MY BODY. So when I say my face flushes, for example, they might take that to mean my face gets red. When I might really mean, my face gets red, feels like it’s on fire, and causes the rest of my body to feel like it might burn up from the inside out. Same word: “flushing.” Very different understanding.

So today, consider how you’re communicating with your physicians, but also remember that you are and always will be the expert in your own body! Just as we must learn to communicate with doctors so they really hear what we’re trying to say, we also need to learn to do so with a sense of self-advocacy. A doctor’s job is to understand the science and technique behind wellness. But that doesn’t make them omniscient. Sometimes, even within illness categories, what works for one might not work for another. It’s okay to tell a doctor something isn’t working for you. (Of course, give it time if it’s a treatment that needs it!) And if you have suggestions, gather the courage to bring them to the table. You are the expert in your own body. Live that way!